Oh, that you would bear with me in a little folly—and indeed you do bear with me. (II Corinthians 11:1)
Paul continued his letter to the church in Corinth, basically asking them to continue to indulge him as he continued his rant about himself towards them, ...who in presence am lowly among you, but being absent am bold toward you. (II Corinthians 10:1) For I am jealous for you with godly jealousy. For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ. But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness [Genesis 3], so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it! (II Corinthians 11:2-4)
Paul loved the church in Corinth, For out of much affliction and anguish of heart I wrote to you, with many tears, not that you should be grieved, but that you might know the love which I have so abundantly for you. (II Corinthians 2:4) So much so that he had godly jealousy towards them, just like God has towards us, "For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God,..." (Exodus 20:5) (for you shall worship no other god, for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God) (Exodus 34:14) And basically, Paul was saying the same thing, For I have betrothed you to one husband, that I may present you as a chaste virgin to Christ.
The gospel message is simple and the Word of God is clear. Yes, we may not always understand everything when we first read it, but we aren't just supposed to read it. We have to go a little further than that; Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (II Timothy 2:15 KJV) As we study and not just read, the Holy Spirit will help us with our understanding. But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. ... These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. ... For “who has known the mind of the Lord that he may instruct Him?” [Isaiah 40:13] But we have the mind of Christ. (I Corinthians 2:10, 13-16)
Once we commit ourselves to studying the Word of God, we will also have the mind of Christ, through the teaching of the Holy Spirit. Of course we are also supposed to come together with other believers, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching. (Hebrews 10:25) That's why to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. ... And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; (Ephesians 4:7, 11-13)
But we MUST have a spirit of discernment! Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world. (I John 4:1) And if anyone teaches and comes preaching another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, do not listen to them or even attend their assemblies. Just as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness in misinterpreting the Word of God, we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ! (Ephesians 4:14-15)
The test of the spirits is very simple; By this you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is of God, and every spirit that does not confess that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is not of God. And this is the spirit of the Antichrist, which you have heard was coming, and is now already in the world. You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world. They are of the world. Therefore they speak as of the world, and the world hears them. We are of God. He who knows God hears us; he who is not of God does not hear us. By this we know the spirit of truth and the spirit of error. (I John 4:2-6)
Paul went on to explain that maybe his speech wasn't the most eloquent, but his message of the gospel was accurately taught to them, For I consider that I am not at all inferior to the most eminent apostles. Even though I am untrained in speech, yet I am not in knowledge. But we have been thoroughly manifested among you in all things. (II Corinthians 11:5-6) The proof of Paul's message being from God and presented accurately was not just in what he said, but also in how he lived among them.
Did I commit sin in humbling myself that you might be exalted, because I preached the gospel of God to you free of charge? I robbed other churches, taking wages from them to minister to you. And when I was present with you, and in need, I was a burden to no one, for what I lacked the brethren who came from Macedonia supplied. And in everything I kept myself from being burdensome to you, and so I will keep myself. (II Corinthians 11:7-9)
With all the corruption going on today, we must clarify what Paul was saying. Paul did not literally "rob" other churches. The other churches gave wages to him to minister to the church in Corinth. They sacrificed and gave to him so that he could help others. We as the body of Christ must have that same attitude of sacrifice towards missions, so that those whom God has called to spread His Word can do it without having to be a burden to those they're trying to help. As the truth of Christ is in me, no one shall stop me from this boasting in the regions of Achaia. Why? Because I do not love you? God knows! (II Corinthians 11:10-11) Yes, God knows the love Paul had for the church in Corinth, and the other churches did also, that's why they, including the impoverished church from Macedonia, helped supply his needs, so that he kept himself from being burdensome to them.
But what I do, I will also continue to do, that I may cut off the opportunity from those who desire an opportunity to be regarded just as we are in the things of which they boast. For such are false apostles, deceitful workers, transforming themselves into apostles of Christ. And no wonder! For Satan himself transforms himself into an angel of light. Therefore it is no great thing if his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness, whose end will be according to their works. (II Corinthians 11:12-15)
Most people will listen to almost everything spoken of in the Word of God, until we get to talking about Satan and spiritual warfare. They can't see it so they can't believe it. But he is real and the angels with him. He is not dressed in a red body suit with a pointy tail carrying a pitch fork. "‘Thus says the Lord God:“You were the seal of perfection, Full of wisdom and perfect in beauty. You were in Eden, the garden of God; Every precious stone was your covering: The sardius, topaz, and diamond, Beryl, onyx, and jasper, Sapphire, turquoise, and emerald with gold. The workmanship of your timbrels and pipes was prepared for you on the day you were created. You were the anointed cherub [angel] who covers; I established you; You were on the holy mountain of God; You walked back and forth in the midst of fiery stones. You were perfect in your ways from the day you were created, till iniquity was found in you. (Ezekiel 28:12-15)
“By the abundance of your trading you became filled with violence within, and you sinned; therefore I cast you as a profane thing out of the mountain of God; And I destroyed you, O covering cherub, from the midst of the fiery stones. Your heart was lifted up because of your beauty; You corrupted your wisdom for the sake of your splendor; I cast you to the ground, I laid you before kings, that they might gaze at you. You defiled your sanctuaries by the multitude of your iniquities, by the iniquity of your trading; therefore I brought fire from your midst; it devoured you, and I turned you to ashes upon the earth in the sight of all who saw you. All who knew you among the peoples are astonished at you; You have become a horror, and shall be no more forever.”’” (Ezekiel 28:16-19)
Who would take seriously an ugly and scary looking cartoon character? No one! Satan is absolutely beautiful, and that's why so many people will be deceived by him, from Eve on down, because he transforms himself into an angel of light, and his ministers also transform themselves into ministers of righteousness. Not only does he and his ministers look good, but they speak well also. That's why the only way to not be fooled by his false prophets, deceitful workers is by knowing the Word of God for ourselves. Eve was deceived because God gave Adam the instruction and Adam shared it with her later. (Genesis 2) But we have to deal with him the same way Christ did, who had the Word of God in Himself, so when the devil tried to tempt Him, He spoke the Word of God accurately and boldly, and ...when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13, Matthew 4:11, Mark 1:13)
Nor is Satan waiting for people to come to hell. Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “From where do you come?” So Satan answered the Lord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it.” (Job 1:6-7) And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and his angels fought, but they did not prevail, nor was a place found for them in heaven any longer. So the great dragon was cast out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan, who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and his angels were cast out with him. (Revelation 12:9)
But his end is coming, and all who choose to believe his lies. And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. [Matthew 12:36-37; John 12:44-50] And all the birds were filled with their flesh. (Revelations 19:19-21)
The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire. (Revelations 20:10-15)
God will take care of Satan and his agents, but we must be careful that we don't fall for his lies and meet his same end. God is a jealous God! Satan is a liar! Study and know the Word of God for ourselves! Don't believe everything we hear based on how the person looks or the eloquence of their speech. Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. (Jams 4:7) AMEN!
No comments:
Post a Comment